Reading is a timeless gift
Roughly 100 years ago, Strickland Gillilan wrote a wonderful poem, "The Reading Mother." The timelessness of this poem warrants its inclusion here:
I had a mother who read to me,
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath.
I had a mother who read me lays,
Of ancient and gallant and golden days.
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.
I had a mother who read me things,
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings — Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold,
Richer than I, you can never be.
I had a mother who read to me.
Books to Borrow
The following book is available at many public libraries.
"The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney; illustrated by Matt Phelan; Atheneum, 211 pages; read aloud: age 7 to 8 and older; read yourself: age 8 to 9 and older.Young Eben longs to see the Seven Wonders of the World, and it frustrates him that he is too young to go out and explore on his own. To make matters worse, Eben considers his small farming community of Sassafras Springs to be the most boring place in the world.Then Eben's pa presents Eben with a challenge. If Eben can find seven wonders in Sassafras Springs that are as remarkable and interesting as the real Seven Wonders of the World, Pa will send him on a trip out West.While Eben is pretty sure that will be impossible, he decides to give it a try. What he discovers comes as a total surprise in many ways.A remarkable book on several levels, this selection serves as a reminder that wonders exist everywhere if one is willing to look for them — even in our own backyard.
<B>Library:</B> Butler Public Library, 218 N. McKean St., Butler<B>Library Director:</B> Lori Campbell<B>Youth Services Librarian:</B> Cora Ferraro<B>Choices this week:</B> <B>"The Kiss That Missed"</B> by David Melling; <B>"Maisy Goes to the Library"</B> by Lucy Cousins; and <B>"The Mouse and the Motorcycle"</B> by Beverly Cleary
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure" </B>by Doreen Cronin; illustrated by Betsy Lewin; Atheneum, 2008; 36 pages, $16.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 4 and older; read yourself: age 7 to 8.It will soon be time for the annual Corn Maze Festival, and Farmer Brown is very excited. This year he plans on making a Statue of Liberty corn maze.Farmer Brown needs all his farm animals to help with the preparations. The cows paint the barn with a fresh coat of red, the chickens build a fence around the cornfield, and Duck is in charge of building the ticket booth.Duck is less than enthusiastic at first, but as the preparations take shape, Duck decides on a new design idea that causes him to be very excited about the opening day of the Corn Maze Festival.Farmer Brown has no idea what Duck has been up to until they both take a ride in the hot air balloon to see what the maze looks like from above.Hilarious text and illustrations on every page, children are certain to be laughing throughout this fun story of Farmer Brown and his "whacky" farm animals.<B>"The Foggy Foggy Forest" </B>written and illustrated by Nick Sharratt; Candlewick, 2008, 24 pages; $12.99 hardcover; read aloud: age 2 to 4; read yourself: age 6 to 7."What can this be in the foggy, foggy forest?" Turn the page to reveal one character after another, cleverly disguised by the semitransparent page that provides a clue to the outline of those that are obscured by the dense fog.Meet an elf, three brown bears, Goldilocks, a witch and others in this clever guessing-game book that young children will love reading time and time again.Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached via e-mail: kendal@sunlink.net.
